If I were to miraculously get approval from my lovely penny pincher to buy a Swedish Mauser, what should I know and where is the best place to get them?
Swedish Mauser
- Thread starter 52grain
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Get the best you can afford IMHO. They are great fun and wonderful to fire. I generally like to see what I am buying but I bought my M38 on Gunbroker and got treated fairly, I thought. Matching is preferable and not a bubba job. Enjoy!
There is alot of good info on the web about these fine milsurps. But caution they are addicting.
These guys have lots of good info also.
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?49-Swedish-Military-Firearms-Forum.
There is alot of good info on the web about these fine milsurps. But caution they are addicting.
These guys have lots of good info also.
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?49-Swedish-Military-Firearms-Forum.
Lots around in the back of the closet after the supplies of Swedish surplus ammo got plinked up. The trick is finding one for sale, the owners remember how well they shot and live in hopes of another warehouse full of ammo turning up.
Float Pilot
Member
You also need to check out this web site.
http://dutchman.rebooty.com/
Also look on Allan's Armory
The m/94 carbines and m/38 rifles are handy to carry and fun to shoot.
The long m/96 rifles are tack drivers.
Look for matching numbers, signs of stock sanding by bubba, signs of number re-stamping by bubba, ect.
The rifles with threaded barrel ends have barrels which were able to take a blank firing adapter. THEY WERE NOT FOR A FLASH HIDER.
The Swedes used a plastic thread protector but blued steel US made ones are available. The blank firing barrels were installed during rebuilds after the 1950s, so they are usually very good barrels. My two most accurate issue Swedes have threaded barrels.
m/96 rifles from the 1920s are very desirable since they were made in fewer numbers.
Also look for rifles with the Finnish [SA] stamp on them. They are winter war vets and may be worth a little more to us collectors.
http://dutchman.rebooty.com/
Also look on Allan's Armory
The m/94 carbines and m/38 rifles are handy to carry and fun to shoot.
The long m/96 rifles are tack drivers.
Look for matching numbers, signs of stock sanding by bubba, signs of number re-stamping by bubba, ect.
The rifles with threaded barrel ends have barrels which were able to take a blank firing adapter. THEY WERE NOT FOR A FLASH HIDER.
The Swedes used a plastic thread protector but blued steel US made ones are available. The blank firing barrels were installed during rebuilds after the 1950s, so they are usually very good barrels. My two most accurate issue Swedes have threaded barrels.
m/96 rifles from the 1920s are very desirable since they were made in fewer numbers.
Also look for rifles with the Finnish [SA] stamp on them. They are winter war vets and may be worth a little more to us collectors.
I would be willing to bet that surplus piles of these are long gone and no one is importing these anymore?
Correct.
If you have the patience and desire, there are a fair number of these that were produced before the cutoff date for "modern" firearms and are legally "antique" under federal law, which means they do not require a 4473.
If you have the patience and desire, there are a fair number of these that were produced before the cutoff date for "modern" firearms and are legally "antique" under federal law, which means they do not require a 4473.
I just purchased a nice Swedish Mauser M38 on Gunbroker. I have second thoughts if that was a good decision. I like the 6.5x55 caliber, but I am concerned with the pressure limitation of this small ring mauser. I would like to use commercial ammo, but will start loading my own ammo shortly.
Has anyone had experience with these M38 small ring Mausers using commercial ammo such as Winchester, Remington, Federal, Fiochi, RWS and PMC.
Has anyone had experience with these M38 small ring Mausers using commercial ammo such as Winchester, Remington, Federal, Fiochi, RWS and PMC.
Ohio Gun Guy
Member
I found one at a gun shop..... bubba had alread started on it, so I contunued Bubba's work. 
It now wears a scope and at the last range session I got a 1.5" group out of some privi-partisan with a somewhat heavy crosswind.
Middle pic is the "Before" (Note bubba's turned down bolt.)
It now wears a scope and at the last range session I got a 1.5" group out of some privi-partisan with a somewhat heavy crosswind.
Middle pic is the "Before" (Note bubba's turned down bolt.)
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Float Pilot
Member
Yes. You have nothing to worry about. All Swede Mausers were all made of Swedish Steel. Even the first runs of rifles and carbines made at the Oberndorf Factory in Germany were made from Swedish Steel.
All the US made 6.5x55mm Ammo is loaded well below the max pressure and only the Norma hunting ammo comes anywhere near the top end. And even Norma ammo has been shooting fine in these rifles for 100 years.
PMC and Igmann ammo shows all sort of velocity and quality variations in the tests I have done. Plus there brass is all out of whack.
The Federal factory ammo is still pretty fast and pretty accurate.
Another NOTE: US and Korean brass makers do not make 6.5x55mm Brass to the proper dimensions. They all make the case head the same diameter as a 308 case. The real 6.5x55 Swede is a little larger.
LUPUA brass is the best..... It reloads many times more than any other brass because it is perfect to start with. I have some Lapua cases that have been loaded 15 times with pretty warm loads.
I have been writing down my 6.5x55mm experimental loads for years, so drop me an e-mail anytime regarding loads to try in your m/38 rifle.
[email protected]
I got my M96/38 thru GunBroker. All matching s/n's (the Swedes # EVERYTHING!). in excellent condition. Oberndorf, Carl Gustafs, Husqvarna, doesn't matter. They're all good if the #'s match and they're in good+ condition. I prefer M96 or 38 over M94's. Better gas venting for safety.
Correct me if I am wrong but the 96 Mausers were designed to take higher pressures then the 94s from what I understand. Both great rifles my grandfather had a collection of them. Just wish grandma had not sold them all off after he died. I got hooked on the 6.5x55 at a real early age and I still reach for mine nearly every time I go hunting.
The 96 has a gas escape hole in the bolt just forward of the extractor collar not found on the early 94's (1894 and 1895 manufacture dates). Later 94's have this hole, which is visible with the bolt closed. That is the only gas handling difference. Relative strength is the same.
Case and primer failures were far more common in early cartridge rifles.
Case and primer failures were far more common in early cartridge rifles.
i have two a cg m96 with a nice tiger striped stock and a husky m38.
both are very good shooters.
i found the m96 at a gunshow & the m38 on gunbroker.
when i found the m38 i was actually looking for a redfield 3200 24x target scope for another project and ended up getting the whole setup for less than the scope ussually sells for. the scope is mounted in a s&k scout mount. the rifle has a timney trigger too, the original trigger & rear sight parts were included with the rifle so it can be returned to its original configuration.
both are very good shooters.
i found the m96 at a gunshow & the m38 on gunbroker.
when i found the m38 i was actually looking for a redfield 3200 24x target scope for another project and ended up getting the whole setup for less than the scope ussually sells for. the scope is mounted in a s&k scout mount. the rifle has a timney trigger too, the original trigger & rear sight parts were included with the rifle so it can be returned to its original configuration.
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